|
Have a pair of old Audioengine 2's, running off of an Audioengine D1. Mostly sit at my desk and listen to music while I work, sometimes play games. Sometimes I feel like they are lacking in the low-end. Am I just being stupid? They're great speakers. I have promedia 2.1's at work but haven't been there in a while to compare....
|
#
?
Dec 30, 2020 04:44
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 19, 2024 02:52 |
|
|
Yes they are lacking in the low end. They’re teeny tiny speakers. I have a pair and enjoy them for the size, but you’re gonna get more from something bigger.
|
|
#
?
Dec 30, 2020 06:40
|
|
|
Yeah, I have A2s too and a sub makes a huge difference.
|
|
#
?
Dec 30, 2020 07:43
|
|
|
A new year, an old ask: I'm looking to update my home office audio and could use some help narrowing the field. I currently have: (1) Sennheiser HD580 headphones that I bought in 1998 (  ) and have kept up with factory replacement foam/pads/cords. I love these.(2) a HeadRoom "The Little Version" headphone amp from 2001 that was gifted to me by a friend in the depths of his audiophile binging. (3) ...and a dogshit no-name $20 2.1 speaker setup I would like: (1) desktop speakers/monitors/earhair movers/whatever that don't suck too hard but cost, ideally, $250 or less. I use my computer mostly for work and occaisionally for gaming; I watch media in the living room which has a full 5.1 audio system. My office is a short corridor hop to my wife's, which means sometimes I am asked to make music happen, and some times I need to shut the gently caress up. Result: I probably run 65/35 headphones/speakers. From reading the previous 18-20 pages of the thread, I know that the JBL 3X series get a lot of love. I also know that at least one or two posters liked the Edifier R1280Ts. I'm currently seeing the JBLs listed at just shy of $300 for a pair pre-tax-and-shipping. So, my question here is: are the JBL 3X series worth paying 3x the price of the 1280s (or whatever delta from an alternative to the 1280s you might recommend), given my use case? (2) to know whether it is worth it to also replace the old-enough-to-drink HeadRoom with a new headphone amp when I get the new speakers. The JDS Atom or Schiit Magni seem like they might have upgraded hard/software over the HeadRoom without making me puke at the pricetag, but I'm willing to go higher than $100 - but no more than $300 - if there's a compelling reason. If headphone amp technology has laid stagnant for twenty years and the HeadRoom is as good as anything in that price range then hooray for me and you audio types should be ashamed of yourselves, etc. Any and all help, consideration, flaming, etc. much appreciated.
|
|
#
?
Jan 5, 2021 23:47
|
|
|
What desktop amp should I get for $100 or so? Topping PA3 or something else? At least initially, it would be used for PSB Alphas from a decade or more ago
|
|
#
?
Jan 6, 2021 00:11
|
|
|
emdash posted:What desktop amp should I get for $100 or so? Topping PA3 or something else? At least initially, it would be used for PSB Alphas from a decade or more ago I’d also look at the SMSL class D amps and the Sony and Yamaha 2 channel receivers/amps on Amazon. These and similar models can also likely be found refurbished for less money. So your total budget is $550? You’ve got lots of options, including the aforementioned SMSL and Yamaha/Sony receivers. These could be paired with Micca RB42s (~$140), Klipsch RP400 or 500 ($200-$350 depending), vintage Realistic Minimus 7 ($40-60 on eBay), JBL Stage 120 or 130, or lots of other 4-5.5” speakers. You could also look at monitor speakers like JBL LSR 305 Mk2 or Adam Audio T5V (you could pair these with a Magni or Atom and have the total package for $500, LSRs are $100 cheaper which gives you more wiggle room to get something like a Modius in order to use balanced cables if that matters to you).
|
|
#
?
Jan 6, 2021 01:16
|
|
|
Ok Comboomer posted:So your total budget is $550? You’ve got lots of options, including the aforementioned SMSL and Yamaha/Sony receivers. First: thanks for the answers! Re: $550 budget - not exactly, no. The upper limits for dac/amp vs. speakers are co-determined; if I spend up on one I'd ideally want to spend less on the other. That's part of what I am curious about : how to think about balancing costs given that when I am using audio in my home office it's slightly more likely to be through my HD580s than speakers. But from a performance-floor perspective, I still want speakers that are better than creative/logitech type semi-disposables. Ok Comboomer posted:These could be paired with Micca RB42s (~$140), Klipsch RP400 or 500 ($200-$350 depending), vintage Realistic Minimus 7 ($40-60 on eBay), JBL Stage 120 or 130, or lots of other 4-5.5” speakers. I hadn't seen the Micca RB42s in the thread before, not sure if I missed it or not. From checking them out it looks like they're passive; would I have to pay attention to the power output of different pre-amps (e.g. magni vs atom) in order to drive them or is there enough standardization across brands that it'll Just Work [tm]? In particular I think the RB42s need an amp that can reliably do 4-Ohm impedance; I don't know if that's normal or not. Ok Comboomer posted:You could also look at monitor speakers like JBL LSR 305 Mk2 or Adam Audio T5V (you could pair these with a Magni or Atom and have the total package for $500, LSRs are $100 cheaper which gives you more wiggle room to get something like a Modius in order to use balanced cables if that matters to you). I guess at its core the tl;dr of my original post is whether it makes sense to shell out for 305-level sound quality in my use case, or if a pair of passives that are, say, around $200 an acceptable way to save $100+.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2021 19:04
|
|
|
captainbananas posted:First: thanks for the answers! Different horses for different courses- one individual 305 contains the speaker and passive speaker components plus an integrated amplifier (no preamp tho) and I/O for $100-$150. Passive speakers don’t contain internal amplification. So if you end up spending $150 on speakers and $100-150 on a receiver or amp you’ve still spent the same amount of money for potentially similar results, potentially not. If you want a preamp with headphone out and/or volume control for the 305s you’ll need to spend anywhere from $50-200 to get that additional functionality. Or alternatively you could spend $300 on passive speakers and $200 on an amp and potentially get a similar or much better/worse experience. This is why audio enthusiasm is a hobby. There are a ton of different pathways to a ton of different results.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2021 19:22
|
|
|
Fair points, for sure. I decided to go for a new dac/headphone-slash-pre-amp stack to start. Absent the ability to try anything out firsthand because we live in PlagueWorld, it doesn't seem like there's any appreciable distinction between models at the $99/unit price point so I went with the modi / magni stack. The change in price over time for the JBL 305s (and some of the other repeatedly-recommended speakers/monitors) as I went back again through this thread into 2016/7 is amazing. I don't see any reason to expect that they'll get as cheap as they were before anytime soon, though.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2021 23:34
|
|
|
Can I get a recommendation? I've had a set of Harman/Kardon Soundsticks II for a number of years, but during several moves the speakers have been damaged and there's a constant, low buzzing sound. In any case, I'm looking to get a replacement. Basically, I'm looking for equivalent sound, while the design is nice, but not a must. I know very little of audio, but I figure that the design is part of the price of the Soundsticks, so is there an option that is just as good for cheaper? I've been looking at various 'best desktop speakers' guides. Audioengine A2+ and Bose Companion 2 Series III both keep showing up. I've always had a 2.1 system, so I'm loathe to just go to stereo, but again I don't know a lot about audio so it's plausible to me that they're just as good. Logitech G560 also gets a lot of praise and is half the price of the Soundsticks. Aeble fucked around with this message at 16:02 on Jan 11, 2021 |
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2021 14:05
|
|
|
How much space do you have? The JBL 305p are the main thread recommendation and they're both a world better and often $200 for a pair on sale, but they're also quite big. I find the AudioEngines pretty satisfying. They don't have the same thump as a 2.1 system but sound enough better in all other regards to be an upgrade (to me.) For something cheap, people seem to like the Edifier 1280. I've been toying with the iloud micro monitor, but that's mostly because of space constraints and I'm not sure it's the right move outside that.
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2021 16:52
|
|
|
powderific posted:How much space do you have? The JBL 305p are the main thread recommendation and they're both a world better and often $200 for a pair on sale, but they're also quite big. I find the AudioEngines pretty satisfying. They don't have the same thump as a 2.1 system but sound enough better in all other regards to be an upgrade (to me.) For something cheap, people seem to like the Edifier 1280. I've been toying with the iloud micro monitor, but that's mostly because of space constraints and I'm not sure it's the right move outside that. I have a good amount of space on my desk (and room for the subwoofer beneath), though looking at the specifications they do look like they would be pretty commanding. I guess I should decide between those and AudioEngines, then.
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2021 18:29
|
|
|
Aeble posted:Can I get a recommendation? Audioengines are great. If you just want new Soundsticks you can also get the Soundsticks III for $150 new and $99 refurb from Harman. There’s also a Soundsticks Bluetooth model that is, I guess, sorta the “Soundsticks 3.5/4” for like $100 more but the Bluetooth implementation is the horrible always-pairing kind that will apparently pair with random peoples’ devices as they go by your home/office. You’re better off adding your own passive pre/Bluetooth dongle/etc. Im also 90% sure you can also send your current set back for repair/replacement if you reach out to Harman. Harman Group is really really good about providing replacement parts and repair support for their consumer products.
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2021 19:16
|
|
|
Ok Comboomer posted:Audioengines are great. If you just want new Soundsticks you can also get the Soundsticks III for $150 new and $99 refurb from Harman. There’s also a Soundsticks Bluetooth model that is, I guess, sorta the “Soundsticks 3.5/4” for like $100 more but the Bluetooth implementation is the horrible always-pairing kind that will apparently pair with random peoples’ devices as they go by your home/office. You’re better off adding your own passive pre/Bluetooth dongle/etc. Thanks! I can't find Soundsticks that cheap on Amazon or Harman Kardon's own website; the Soundsticks III is 250£ (and also out of stock). And also all with bluetooth. But if I can get the speakers replaced for cheaper than buying the set of AudioEngines, I should probably do that. (I *think* the subwoofer is fine, so that should be OK). I'll try getting in touch with customer support.
|
|
#
?
Jan 12, 2021 00:40
|
|
|
Harman was indeed very fast at replying, but unfortunately they did not have the parts in stock. They directed me to another service center, but I decided to simply get the AudioEngine A2+ for a quicker solution to save my ears from the buzzing of faulty speakers. Thanks for the recommendation!
|
|
#
?
Jan 12, 2021 12:22
|
|
|
I would recommend JBL 305 Mk2 as well, got them last year and they beat any previous speakers I had, great performance to price ratio. I had to get a small 50W Yamaha subwoofer to get satisfactory deep low end though. If I would be buying again I would probably get 308 instead for extra oomph and skip a subwoofer. Do note that just like reviews and others in this thread said the speakers have a quiet hiss coming from the tweeter when not playing anything. It can be noticeable at times, some people are more sensitive than others.
|
|
#
?
Jan 12, 2021 13:09
|
|
|
I just went from a Soundsticks 3 to an Edifier R1280DBs and I'm loving the change! The The mids are a lot clearer, and the bass is still noticeable and distinct even though it doesn't have a subwoofer. If you can't drop the cash for the JBL 305 Mk2 like me (it's three times the price of the Edifier here), then I think the R1280DBs is a fine buy.
|
|
#
?
Jan 12, 2021 13:30
|
|
|
Rolando posted:I would recommend JBL 305 Mk2 as well, got them last year and they beat any previous speakers I had, great performance to price ratio. I had to get a small 50W Yamaha subwoofer to get satisfactory deep low end though. If I would be buying again I would probably get 308 instead for extra oomph and skip a subwoofer. Do note that just like reviews and others in this thread said the speakers have a quiet hiss coming from the tweeter when not playing anything. It can be noticeable at times, some people are more sensitive than others. I just got them and can definitely feel the lack of the subwoofer. That aspect is a bit disappointing right now - I'll probably look to get one to supplement them. Sounds great, though, and they look nice. I'm kicking myself that I could just have gotten the JBLs and probably wouldn't have the subwoofer issue (?), but I'm also happy that they don't look monstrous on my desk.
|
|
#
?
Jan 13, 2021 18:42
|
|
|
Rolando posted:I would recommend JBL 305 Mk2 as well, got them last year and they beat any previous speakers I had, great performance to price ratio. I had to get a small 50W Yamaha subwoofer to get satisfactory deep low end though. If I would be buying again I would probably get 308 instead for extra oomph and skip a subwoofer. Do note that just like reviews and others in this thread said the speakers have a quiet hiss coming from the tweeter when not playing anything. It can be noticeable at times, some people are more sensitive than others. 308s are MASSIVE, have you seen them IRL?
|
|
#
?
Jan 13, 2021 18:46
|
|
|
Ok Comboomer posted:308s are MASSIVE, have you seen them IRL? 308: 16.5 x 10 x 12.1 305: 11.7 x 7.3 x 9.1 Edifier: 9.5 x 5.75 x 7 A2: 6 x 4 x 5.25 How are the Edifiers with vs without a sub? (vs something like the A2s where it's a pretty obvious improvement)
|
|
#
?
Jan 14, 2021 08:12
|
|
|
It’s odd how the paper number difference between the 308 and 305 fails to really capture the perceived size difference between the two. I have 305s on my desk but 308s feel like a whole order of magnitude bigger
|
|
#
?
Jan 14, 2021 08:34
|
|
|
Neat, found a (generic box) size comparison thing and stuck them all in, might give a better impression of the size difference: https://comparesizes.com/comparison/308-vs-305-vs-Edifier-1280-vs-A2/1610610968703
|
|
#
?
Jan 14, 2021 09:00
|
|
|
What would people recommend for very small desktop speakers? Moved into a new home office and unfortunately agree with my partner that my martin logan lx16's are way way way too big for the space. Was looking at vanatoo t0's, kanto yu2's and audioengine hd3's but was wondering if there's anything I'm missing in the small but good category.
|
|
#
?
Jan 15, 2021 15:21
|
|
|
iLoud micro monitor, the baby genelecs, 8010 I think (they are expensive though!), those edifier 1280s (for some reason they look big to me in pictures but are not really, see Japtor's thing for comparison.)
|
|
#
?
Jan 15, 2021 16:52
|
|
|
DoesNotCompute posted:What would people recommend for very small desktop speakers? Moved into a new home office and unfortunately agree with my partner that my martin logan lx16's are way way way too big for the space. Was looking at vanatoo t0's, kanto yu2's and audioengine hd3's but was wondering if there's anything I'm missing in the small but good category. I love my t0s. I would have gone with something smaller like a yu2/a2+ if I was going to get a subwoofer, since my desk space is at a premium and even the t0s are a bit big for me (though they at least fit under my monitors which was the most important concern). very happy with how much bass these give me with no sub, though hd3s also look nice; I don't remember seeing them during my investigation of speakers and the one thing they have that I wish the t0s had was a headphone jack (and they do look a hell of a lot nicer aesthetically tbh)
|
|
#
?
Jan 15, 2021 21:00
|
|
|
Don’t the HD3 have the A2’s driver? I’d rather just get that and add a headphone amp
|
|
#
?
Jan 15, 2021 22:40
|
|
|
I have a quick and easy question. This is specially for desktop speakers. I currently have the Kanto YU6s but they're fairly large. They take up their space sitting vertically, but I was wondering: is there any harm in laying them horizontally? For anyone curious, it's solely because I'm moving to a dual monitor setup and would wanna make sure everything fits nicely.
|
|
#
?
Jan 16, 2021 01:49
|
|
|
You could just try it since you already have them. But generally, the sound will reflect off the desk differently, changing the sound. You may or may not notice. You won't break them, if that's what you're asking.
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2021 16:24
|
|
|
Copying this from the quick audio questions, since it is computer related:quote:I just redid a bunch of cabling with my desktop computer and my audio is acting strange.
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2021 18:08
|
|
|
me your dad posted:Copying this from the quick audio questions, since it is computer related: Your Nanopatch is probably dying. You might be able to fix it with compressed air or contact cleaner or something, but otherwise you'll probably need a new one. This is a known issue that some people have with them.
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2021 20:32
|
|
|
Doesn't it seem weird that it coincided exactly with a shuffling of my peripherals?
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2021 23:36
|
|
|
abraham linksys posted:I love my t0s. I would have gone with something smaller like a yu2/a2+ if I was going to get a subwoofer, since my desk space is at a premium and even the t0s are a bit big for me (though they at least fit under my monitors which was the most important concern). very happy with how much bass these give me with no sub, though Decided on the T0's and then they went out of stock in Canada so I'm just gonna suffer for a while I guess.
|
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2021 13:51
|
|
|
Stingwing posted:Your Nanopatch is probably dying. You might be able to fix it with compressed air or contact cleaner or something, but otherwise you'll probably need a new one. This is a known issue that some people have with them. me your dad posted:Doesn't it seem weird that it coincided exactly with a shuffling of my peripherals? So I wound up buying a new volume controller. I bought a Behringer Monitor1. Unfortunately the same thing is happening. The Input Sensitivity on my speakers is set to -10dBv. The LF Trim is at 0 and the HF Trim is at +2dB. The volume is currently set to 8/10 on the speaker volume knob. With those settings configured on the speakers, I cannot turn the volume all the way down using my Behringer volume control. If I turn down the volume control knob on the speakers to 3/10, it brings the sound to a minimum when dialed down on the volume controller, but then I cannot turn it up past a very quiet spot. Thinking perhaps it was something with my main PC, I also tried running my 3.5mm cable from my work laptop to the Behringer, but the same thing is happening. This leaves only the speakers as the possible cause, right? But what would cause them to suddenly act weird? I didn't make any changes to their settings when mucking about with my system the other day.
|
|
#
?
Jan 28, 2021 18:48
|
|
|
I need help. I bought these computer headphones a few years back and I love them but they're falling to pieces. One of it's best features is that it had an external soundcard that let me press a button and instantly switched all the sound from my desktop speakers to instead come through the headphones without having to screw around with speaker settings and the like. Are there any quality headphones out there with a similar system to make switching a breeze?
|
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2021 12:11
|
|
|
Hello! I've been using a bluetooth speaker for my PC for the time being, but the battery's starting to die. I've got some nice celestion cab speakers + a cambridge amp I'd normally have hooked up, but I currently live in shared accomodation and so they're in our living room hooked up to our TV because I don't want my housemates to live their lives with crap TV speaker audio. Any quick recommendations for some decent speakers I can grab for my PC as a stopgap until the day when my cabinets are back in their rightful place with me? Ideally something small I can put either side of my monitor, but that do a good job playing music, game audio, etc. Wouldn't want to spend more than £100 unless there's something insanely good value out there. edit: bookshelf speakers are potentially fine too!
|
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2021 12:59
|
|
|
Some cheap, used tannoys/dalis/whatever bookshelf speakers from your local online marketplace + some cheapo t-amp or similar would do the job nicely.
|
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2021 13:11
|
|
|
Wibla posted:Some cheap, used tannoys/dalis/whatever bookshelf speakers from your local online marketplace + some cheapo t-amp or similar would do the job nicely. Thanks for the suggestion! I was looking at these https://www.reviewgeek.com/11115/edifier-r1280t-review-a-simple-excellent-desktop-speaker-upgrade/ - do I really need an amp? That'd add a lot onto the total cost.
|
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2021 13:17
|
|
|
me your dad posted:So I wound up buying a new volume controller. I bought a Behringer Monitor1. Unfortunately the same thing is happening. I am loving dumber than dumb. I realized this morning (accidentally) that I had the 3.5mm cable and the speakers plugged into the Output. Turns out I accidentally put the 3.5mm in the output, when it needs to be in the Input 
|
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2021 14:27
|
|
|
The Grumbles posted:Thanks for the suggestion! I was looking at these https://www.reviewgeek.com/11115/edifier-r1280t-review-a-simple-excellent-desktop-speaker-upgrade/ - do I really need an amp? That'd add a lot onto the total cost. Those are neat, and you don't need an amp for them either!
|
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2021 15:54
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 19, 2024 02:52 |
|
|
Hi thread! I currently own a set of Logitech-Z 623 speakers which work perfectly fine and have served me well over the last 5 years. I do however have some money burning a hole in my pocket and can't spend it on a gpu so I'm thinking about investing it in moving up a quality tier on the sound output. Are there any obvious choices for a 2.1 or similar upgrade for me?
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2021 11:19
|
|
